Kensington Blues

I’ve been pretty adamant about how much I love my iPhone. Since Charlie joined us last year, it’s been my go-to device for all things Internet and communication. I still break out my much maligned Macbook for the heavy duty usage, but the iPhone does what I need for the most part.

It’s an old, 2G iphone that came out in ’08. It’s banged up a bit, but the screen’s still intact, which is more than I can say for most iPhones I’ve seen of that vintage. I nearly jumped to the 3G when it was first announced. What can I say, I have a thing for GPS! But now I’m glad I didn’t. iPhone 4 is the device I’ve been waiting for. Can’t wait to get my mitts on it. The new camera, complete with HD video, makes it perfect for taking on vacation. Everything about it sounds like the phone people started imagining once they held and played with the iPhone when it first launched.

Did I pre-order mine? No. Why, you ask? Because of AT&T. What a nightmare! Do I qualify for unlimited data at $30 per month? Yes, I do! But do I really need that much? How does this affect the plan I currently share with my wife? There are so many questions about how to get the appropriate plan that won’t result in gazillion page surprise bills at the end of the month. Fun!

Buried beneath the incessant iPhone 4 coverage was the introduction of a brand, spankin’ new Xbox 360! It’s quieter, meaning I won’t have to set the subtitles for every movie I watch on the thing. It has wi-fi, which means I won’t have to use a wonky adapter that didn’t work well enough to keep Netflix Watch Instantly titles from buffering nonstop. But that’s not all: word is that Red Ring of Death will be a thing of the past! Glory be! The best part? I can sell what I have right now for $205 at GameStop, which gets me within striking distance of the $299 price tag.

I should have both of these items in house by the end of the month. I can’t wait!

Caught them at the Tower Theatre Tuesday night. Captivating show. Janelle Monae is an incendiary performer. I feel bad for any artist who has to follow her act. She’s James Brown reincarnate with a dash of Sun Ra’s outer space imagery for good measure. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone sing and dance so well in a live setting, much less the sometimes hollow Tower, which can be a tough room to warm up even for seasoned performers.

Her energy completely overshadowed Bilal’s set, who coasted a bit on the strength of the hometown crowd. I must admit that his cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving” you was a bit inspired, although his band didn’t really have the chops to really drive it home. As Dan DeLuca observes, Bilal had what it takes to be a neo-soul star in the making back in 2001; now, some nine years removed, who doesn’t shudder when they hear “neo-soul?”

Erykah Badu mesmerized the audience. Her mere presence commanded the room’s attention and she held it for two hours, possessing them with a mixture of songcraft and guile. Badu is a fortunate member of the neo-soul scene, experiencing something of a renaissance since she began the New Amerykah series in 2008. She’s incorporated elements that draw on Parliament and Funkadelic, updating her once staid, Starbucks soul sound. Even the stuff from her 1997 debut, Baduizm, didn’t sound dated thirteen years on. She is a singer at the height of her powers and if you miss her, you’re really missing something special.

Yeah, once upon a time I would’ve derided this gig as a shameless ploy. Fortunately people can change. Can’t wait to see Krautrock pioneer Michael Rother perform the music of Neu! at International House in August. Should be a pretty amazing experience.

I know it’s unthinkable, but last Saturday when I was at the Cherry Hill Mall getting my dear Macbook repaired for the umpteenth time, I found myself alone with my son, needing to occupy some time while Helen replenished her summer wardrobe. There aren’t many interesting options when you’re at the mall, so I took a walk down memory lane and stepped inside the sort of store that introduced me to music in the first place: an FYE. (more…)

Tomorrow I’m headed back to the Apple Store at the Cherry Hill Mall to fix a problem that began late last year when my hard drive cooked right inside my Macbook. I went and got the disk replaced in April, but I haven’t really recovered from the experience. Sure, my computer works and has a brand spankin’ new OS, but you know what, that’s not good enough.

I went in there and got great service, no question, but it didn’t go above and beyond. While my computer was being repaired, the keyboard cracked for the third time. The third time! I know this is a design flaw that was fixed when they rolled out the new Macbook. You’d think if they’re replacing the hard drive anyway, they’d notice the crack in the keyboard and just toss the whole thing. There’s nothing to save, right?

That’s my aim when I go in tomorrow. I’m going to be upfront with them and let them know that the issues I’ve had with this computer were never problems with the PCs I’ve owned, even the cooked hard drive. It’s frustrating to pay a premium for a superior machine, love it, and have so many issues. Wish me luck!